“I will introduce the topic with various empirical studies of distance learning pedagogy and outcomes, before turning to the findings of the Work Group of Distance Learning for Legal Education’s Best Practice Recommendations for Distance Learning for Legal Education 2.0,” stated William Byrnes. “The Work Group is an evolving project of faculty and administrators participating from approximately 83 ABA law schools, representative of the four tiers, and its Recommendations are collaboratively developed and authored over a four year period.”

“In 2014 the American Bar Association revised Standard 306 “Distance Education”, expanding opportunities and flexibility for institutions to leverage technological advances within the JD academic curriculum.” explained Byrnes. “The ABA initially acquiesced to an online LL.M. in 1998. Yet, it is since the initial inception of the Work Group in 2010 that most of the 48 LL.M.s offered online by 30 ABA full approved law schools have been founded.” Byrnes exclaimed, “One ABA law school, William Mitchell, even received a variance to offer a hybrid, partially residential / partially online, JD. It matriculated 85 candidates in its pioneer class, at its normal LSAT range.”

“As of 2015, nearly all ABA law schools offer the opportunity for an academic experience at a distance for J.D. students,” concluded Byrnes. “But many are still not leveraging communication technologies to enhance that experience and to assist with producing better learning outcomes”.